The Bangladesh government has announced its decision to ban the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir, through an executive order expected on Wednesday. This move follows recent protests that turned violent, reportedly hijacked by radical Islamists, leading to significant fatalities.

The decision was made by the 14-party ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. Law Minister Anisul Haq confirmed that the ban would be implemented via an executive order. Jamaat leaders have condemned the ban as "illegal, extrajudicial, and unconstitutional."

The Election Commission of Bangladesh had already deregistered Jamaat, a right-wing party, following a High Court decision in 2018. Discussions between the law and home ministers are set to finalize the ban's implementation process, as reported by Dhaka-based media, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.

As Bangladesh aims to return to normalcy after student protests resulted in around 150 deaths, the government announced that public and private offices would resume normal operations from Wednesday. However, internet services remain partially restored, and social media platforms like Facebook are still down.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also revealed plans to seek foreign technical assistance for a judicial probe into the deaths during the quota agitation, ensuring a thorough investigation. The ban on Jamaat and its student wing was announced shortly after.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader stated, "For the sake of the country, the 14-party alliance has decided to ban Jamaat-Shibir to eliminate anti-national evil forces," following a meeting at Sheikh Hasina's official residence, Gono Bhaban.

The student protests, initially focused on quota reforms, escalated into violent clashes, with experts suggesting that Islamists from Jamaat and Chhatrashibir infiltrated the movement, turning it against the government. Senior Dhaka-based journalist Swadesh Roy noted that the protests had been "hijacked by Islamists," leading to a significant reduction in student participation.

Critics of Sheikh Hasina's regime argue that the protests were a genuine response against the government, involving various political forces. Since its 2018 deregistration, Jamaat has used such agitations as opportunities to sustain its presence, despite losing its poll registration and continuing political activities as an ally of the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Jamaat has denounced the government's move as part of a broader crackdown on opposition parties, accusing the government of deflecting responsibility for its actions. The party's role in the 1971 Liberation War has been controversial, with war crimes tribunals convicting its leaders for their involvement in atrocities against Bengalis, in collaboration with the Pakistani army.

In response to the ban, Jamaat-e-Islami tweeted, "The government has been lying since the beginning to avoid the responsibility of its misdeeds. Using state machineries, they are playing a blame game against Jamaat and other opposition parties."